Just Hate Me and We'll End It Here

Alex

I hum along to Blink some more and I finally reach the apartment, stepping up to their room. Yawning, I knock on the door and open it, seeing it’s unlocked. “Aloha, amigos,” I call out. “Anyone here?”

“Aleeeex!” Zack squeals, bounding over and jumps on me before I can catch myself. “Long time, no see, man!”

“Uh… yeah, sure.” I raise my eyebrow. “Now could you get off me?”

He grins. “Well that’s no fun.” But he obeys, rolling off as Missy enters, looking a little flushed.

“Hey, Alex! How’s it going? Sleep well?” She wiggles her eyebrows with a grin.

“Am I the only who isn’t trying to think dirty right now?” I raise my eyebrow.

“Mmm… maybe,” Zack allows with a nod. “Why? Something wrong with that?”

“I won’t answer that.” I shake my head. “So? What work do I need to do?”

“Well, we gotta go to my old place, where all the boxes are, drive ‘em over here, and unpack!” Missy says brightly. “I can use all the help possible.”

The next several hours, accompanied with the rest of the band, we clean out her old apartment room and hang around the ‘new’ one. We goof around with the guys and order some pizza for lunch, too bored and lazy to go anywhere or fixing anything ourselves.

Missy lets us turn on the television and we pretend to ignore the fact that she and Zack ‘discreetly’ leave… heading to the bedrooms, of course. Jack and I make some cracks about them, but we figure we probably shouldn’t be laugh tooo loud…

After a few hours though, we’re all zonked out of our heads and ready to go. Somehow, through some weird wrestling match I’m the one picked to tell them we’re going. I stick out my tongue and head towards the extra bedroom.

“So what’s her favorite music?” I hear softly.

“Oh, um… Hawthorne Heights, Panic, and Blink 182.”

“Okay, he likes Blink, too… what’s her favorite food?”

“She loves Chinese, French fries and cupcakes. What’s his favorite book?”

…And that goes on for a while. I listen at the door, confused at what the heck they’re doing. Then I realize why it also sounds so familiar- Zack’s rattling off all of MY favorite things.

Oh, oh! I get it, I get it! I quietly pump my fist in the air, excited- Zack’s saying my favorite things, and Missy’s telling him Bailey’s favorite things. But then I start wondering, as I lean against the door, why the heck they’re talking about their friend’s favorite things…

Suddenly the door falls open. “Whoa!” And I fall forward. “Oh… uh, hi. Fancy meeting you here,” I grin sheepishly, clambering up. “So… what are you two up to?” I ask innocently.

Missy raises her eyebrow, hands on her hips. Zack snorts. Obviously, neither of them believe me. “Right…” Missy says dryly- but she’s still smiling a little, so that must mean I’m not in too much trouble… right? Cause I’m beginning to find out the smaller the girls are, the more evil they can really become. “And why are you here?”

“Oh,” I remember instantly, absently running a hand through my hair. “We’re heading out. You’re all settled and all that, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks,” she adds, still smiling.

….

Awkward.

“Well, I’ll be going now,” I say, getting weirded out at the looks these two keep sharing. It’s like they’ve got ESP. Or ESPN? No wait, isn’t that a channel? Hmm… I shrug and start out.

“Wait,” Zack grabs my wrist.

“Right, yeah,” Missy adds quickly. “Uh, see- Bailey.”

“Bailey,” I echo, trying to ignore as my heart beats a little louder. “…What about her?”

“Well she’s almost done at work, and I’m sure she’d really appreciate a ride,” she smiles brightly. “It’s a few blocks down, on Bridge Avenue. There’s this quaint bookshop slash coffee place, and she should be there. If you’re quick, you can catch her.”

The idea runs through my mind quickly. In my car… talking to her… being around her… “Okay,” I get this silly smile on my face. “We’ll be back soon. See you…” And I start out, whistling Blink’s First Date.